How underground fungi shape forests
A large study involving 43 research plots in the Forest Global Earth Observatory (ForestGEO) Network—including a swath of trees at Tyson Research Center, the environmental field station of Washington University in St. Louis—has helped clarify the.....»»
"Miseries of the Balkhash": Fears for Kazakhstan"s magical lake
Seen from the sky, with its turquoise waters stretching out into the desert expanses in the shape of a crescent, you can see why they call Lake Balkhash the "pearl of Kazakhstan"......»»
How efficiently different US forests will remove atmospheric carbon in the future
Forests absorb carbon by capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, making forest carbon stocks an important resource against climate change. In research published in Ecology and Evolution, investigators examined existing tree regeneration pattern.....»»
Tundra vegetation to grow taller, greener through 2100, study finds
Warming global climate is changing the vegetation structure of forests in the far north. It's a trend that will continue at least through the end of this century, according to NASA researchers. The change in forest structure could absorb more of the.....»»
Forests destroyed by wildfires emit carbon long after the flames die—new study
Even in Earth's high northern-latitude forest, climate change is predicted to make wildfires more frequent and severe......»»
Ancient poppy seeds and willow wood offer clues to the Greenland ice sheet"s last meltdown
As we focused our microscope on the soil sample for the first time, bits of organic material came into view: a tiny poppy seed, the compound eye of an insect, broken willow twigs and spikemoss spores. Dark-colored spheres produced by soil fungi domin.....»»
A new way of thinking about the economy could help protect the Amazon, and help its people thrive
To protect the Amazon and support the well-being of its people, its economy must shift from environmentally harmful production to a model built around the diversity of indigenous and rural communities, and standing forests......»»
Researchers use vibrations from traffic to measure underground soil moisture
Caltech researchers have developed a new method to measure soil moisture in the shallow subterranean region between the surface and underground aquifers. This region, called the vadose zone, is crucial for plants and crops to obtain water through the.....»»
Scientists "cautiously optimistic" about AI"s role in drug discovery
The human body contains at least 20,000 different proteins, often called the "workhorses of the cell" because of their role in keeping cells healthy. Each protein consists of a unique string of amino acids that affects its shape and function—or dys.....»»
A Band-Aid for the heart? New 3D printing method makes this, and much more, possible
In the quest to develop life-like materials to replace and repair human body parts, scientists face a formidable challenge: Real tissues are often both strong and stretchable and vary in shape and size......»»
Conservationists need to pay more attention to "degraded" tropical forests
Conservationists have typically focused on pristine tropical rainforests, or those thought to have been relatively untouched by human disturbance......»»
Restoring logged forests doesn"t mean locking them up as "wilderness"—it means actively managing them
On January 1 this year, the commercial logging of native forests ended in Victoria and Western Australia. It was one of the most significant changes in the history of forest management in Australia......»»
Hidden players in climate change: How microscopic proteins could shape our future
In the narrative about climate change, we often focus on the big and visible—like shrinking glaciers and churning hurricanes. But there's another world, microscopic and hidden, that's just as crucial and the focus of a new study by Amy Gladfelter,.....»»
Atmospheric rivers shape long-term changes in Arctic moisture variability
Recent decades have seen rapid warming in the Arctic, known as Arctic amplification, which has impacted the Arctic's cryosphere and ecosystems and influenced global weather and climate through changes in atmospheric circulation......»»
Study identifies universal blueprint for mammalian brain shape
Researchers have developed a new approach for describing the shape of the cerebral cortex, and provide evidence that cortices across mammalian species resemble a universal, fractal pattern......»»
Paris 2024: How the Olympics shape—and are shaped by—geopolitics
When French historian and educator Baron Pierre de Coubertin founded the modern Olympics in 1894, he did so with a vision of promoting peace through sport. In reality, the Olympics have often reflected the geopolitics of the period......»»
New aerospace and building materials could repair themselves thanks to fungi and bacteria
Researchers are using biological matter to create unique new materials that can adapt to their environment and repair themselves......»»
Underground CO₂ storage: Researchers measure carbon mineralization at unprecedented small scale
As we look to the sky above and ponder one of the biggest questions of our time—how to combat the carbon emissions that are driving climate change—a potential answer just may lie beneath our feet, in Earth's deep subsurface......»»
When it comes to political advertising, is AI ever OK?
The Liberal National Party Queensland (LNP) has recently taken a bold step in its political strategy by employing artificial intelligence (AI) to shape public perception of the current premier, Steven Miles. This move has not only highlighted the inn.....»»
Colombia orchid sanctuary collects and clones endangered species
Deep in Colombia's northwestern forests, an orchid enthusiast has gathered a colorful collection of nearly 25,000 specimens, some of which he is cloning to protect them from extinction......»»
Heat-sensitive trees moving uphill due to rising temperatures, study finds
Trees in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest are migrating in search of more favorable temperatures, with species in mountain forests moving uphill to escape rising heat caused by climate change, a new study reveals......»»